VISITOR PARKING

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Requesting Visitor Validation Codes

Visitor Codes can be purchased by departments to allow guests to park without paying. The codes can be set up with various controls in place which limit their use (and potential abuse), such as expiration dates, maximum dollar amount per transaction, number of uses per day, and overall dollar limit.

Background

When ordering a Visitor Validation Code for guests, you may select a number of features which will assure the codes are used as intended and reduce the chance for misuse. Before ordering, here are a few things to consider:

You will want to make sure your guests have ample time to conduct their business at the University. Parking is sold in hour increments, so if you have an hour meeting, you will need to provide two hours of parking.

Regular guests can use the same number each time they come to campus so they will have ease of access. You can easily provide a reusable code which can be active as long as you wish. You can also limit the use of that code by the number of hours at a time and/or by the total amount used over time.

You cannot issue a code to a faculty, staff, student, or employee of an affiliated organization.

If you have a number of guests at a single meeting (up to ten) you can issue them all the same code and have that code expire after that number of uses on that given day or week. For more than ten expected vehicles, please contact John Casey for further instruction.

If you find a code is being abused, we can always take the code out of use to prevent further issues.

You will be billed monthly for the actual time used in the lots (in hour increments). This is in no way based on the amount of time you have available on the codes. For example, you can issue a code which will allow a person to select three hours. If they select two hours when they park, you will only be charged for two hours.

You can have a code available in your office to use for anticipated visits. Ask for a code with whatever limits you wish or no limits and keep it available in your office. If a person calls you at the last minute, you can e-mail them the code and instructions or instruct them over the phone while they are in the lot.

Guests can always purchase more time than you authorize. If you have an hour meeting and provide them with a two hour code, they can select four hours to visit other areas on campus by entering the code for the first two hours and paying the rest with cash.

You can always distribute codes and instructions via e-mail. We will send you instructions for your guests with each code to make distribution easy.

Please protect your codes. You are responsible for their use, regardless of your intention. If a vehicle belonging to a person who is not authorized to park in the lot is found, it will be issued a citation regardless of the time on the permit. You will still be charged for the time used. We recommend using caution around the use of these codes.

Recommendations for Code Restrictions

You can restrict codes using a number of variables in order to assure their proper use. The following is a list of those variables and our best advice on setting them. You do not have to limit codes in any way. You can select a few limits you wish to use. We include examples below. Please call us at 656-8686 for more advice.

Expiration date: If you are holding a small event or inviting a guest for a defined period of time, use the end of that event or time as the expiration date. If you are holding an account open for use, do not set a date. Remember, we can always change the date if you find abuse.

Maximum Dollar Per Transaction: If you know that a guest(s) will use the lot for a defined period of time, set the limit at the next available hour. If a person is at a meeting that lasts an hour, set the limit to (1) per hour times (2) or $2. If your event lasts four hours, select (5) hours at $1 per hour or $5. At the moment the maximum cost per day is $8.

Maximum Overall Dollar Amount: If you have a guest that comes at random intervals and you would like to limit your overall risk, set this variable to a defined total. You can always add or subtract from the limit at a later date.

Number of Uses per Day: If you are hosting an event and anticipate up to ten guests (over ten must be accommodated through our office -- space will be provided where available), you can set the Maximum Dollar Amount to the time you anticipate they will need for the event and this variable to the number of guests you invited.

Our Advice

For one time guests (i.e., job candidates): Have a code available in your office that has no limits and issue it to these guests.

If you think the code might be used inappropriately, ask for a code and set the limit to that day only and the maximum amount to $1 times the number of hours you are authorizing. Remember to give an extra hour for travel, etc.

For a guest who attends regular meetings over time: Set the maximum overall dollars per transactions at $1 times the number of hours they will use and set the expiration date to the end of the projected meetings. You can always request the expiration date be changed if the project finishes early or runs late.

For a small event (under ten people): set the maximum dollar transaction to $1 times the number of hours you need, the overall number of uses per day to the number of guests you anticipate, and the expiration date to the last day of the event.

If you have a guest who may come and go at various times without much notice, you can choose no limit at all or you can limit the maximum dollar amount. Remember, you can always add to this amount without changing the code.

If none of these conditions meet your needs, we have other alternatives available. Please call our office at 656-8686 to customize your codes.